Here is a writeup from CEP’s newest member, coach Elaina.
In elite sport and high performance, failure isn’t a question of if—it’s a matter of when. A race goes sideways. You miss the winning shot. You don’t perform to the standard you trained for. What separates the best from the rest isn’t the absence of failure—it’s the ability to reframe it.
From Shame to Strategy
Failure often feels personal. But high performers don’t see it as a reflection of who they are (aka feelings of shame)—they see it as valuable feedback (aka a strategy for growth). They ask:
- What did this teach me?
- Where’s the gap between my preparation and my execution?
- What do I know now that I didn’t before?
This shift in mindset from seeing a tough performance as a lesson—not a loss—turns failure into fuel for future success.
From Setback to Setup
While setbacks might, at first glance, seem unfortunate, they’re also invaluable. The key is in how you interpret and respond to them.
When we internalize failure and allow it to chip away at our confidence or question our ability, it stops our momentum in its tracks. But when we choose to see failure as a setup—a catalyst for growth—we create space for learning and adaptation.
For example:
- A disappointing race might highlight the need for better pacing.
- A mental lapse in a big game might reveal a gap in your pre-performance routine.
- A performance plateau could be a signal that your training load or recovery needs adjusting.
The setback becomes useful when you ask what it’s here to teach you.
But reframing doesn’t mean dismissing or sugar-coating disappointment. Sometimes it simply means using that disappointment to strengthen your motivation or sharpen your focus.
That missed opportunity? It might reignite your drive and love for the game.
That bad race? It might reveal a blind spot in your recovery or nutrition.
That mental block you felt under pressure? It might highlight a gap in your mental preparation.
Ask any great athlete or high performer about a breakthrough moment, and chances are, it followed a setback they leaned into instead of avoiding. The beauty is in the choices and changes we make following the setback.
So remember, shift from shame to strategy and use your setbacks to help setup your future success!
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Danielle Hanus, MA
Monica Russell, MA
